What is the Biggest Challenge facing youth soccer in America?

The pay-to-play system is a big challenge and the ability/opportunity to engage in “free play” — youth soccer players need the opportunity to play without the interference of coaches or parents — an environment that enables the players to be creative, make mistakes, and figure out by themselves what works and what doesn’t. It’s important for players to have an environment that enables them to make up their own games, rules, stand up for themselves, fight for themselves and play with passion without anybody looking over their shoulders constantly.

What is another Big challenge?

Coaching is important, but in many cases our players get “over-coached” and they lose the ability to be free and creative and make their own decisions on the field. I often come to soccer fields in the US and it feels like you are in a library — no players are talking and the only ones you hear are the coach and the parents — that is a big problem.